We are fortunate to live so close to Washington, D.C. where we have the opportunity to experience many different events. This month the 101st annual Cherry Blossom Festival brought many tourists and locals into the city to welcome spring to the nation's capitol. According to the National Cherry Blossom Festival's website, more than 1.5 million people visit Washington to admire the blossoming trees and to participate in the diverse programming of the festival.

This year, the festival set an all-time record high with 1.6 million visitors, and the weekend parade saw a 15-20 percent increase in attendance from the previous year. Festival organizers are expecting the economic impact of the festival to bring in more than $160 million in spending related to the festival.